Feed-water-heating system for multiple-expansion engines.



-N0.728,282- PATENTED MAY19,1903.

13. v. NORIYBERG.

FEED WATER HEATING SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE EXPA NS ION'ENGINES.

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1899. 11o MODEL. T 2 sni:n*rssnnnr 1.

/zgwamam I T I 4 5% awn-w w- No. 728,282. 'PATENTED'MKY19,,-1903.'

V B.,V.NORDBERG. FEED WATER HEATING SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE EXPANSIONENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1899. I N0 MODEL. Q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

Patented May 19, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRUNO V. NQRDBERG, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FEED-WATER-HEATING SYSTEM .FOFl MULTIPLE-EXPANSION ENGINESQSPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,282, dated May 19,1903. Application filed SeptemberZ, 1899. Serial No. 729,294. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUNO V. NORDBERG, a subject of the Grand Duke ofFinland, Eniperor of Russia, residingat Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed-Water-Heating Systems for Multiple-ExpansionEngines, of which the following is a specification, reference being 'hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part-thereof.

My invention relates to and is. designed to be used in connection withcompound tripleexpansion, quadruple, and multiple expansion engines,which are all comprehended in the designation multiple-expansionengines. y l

The main objects of the invention are, to reduce thefuel consumptionofsuch engines and also to permit of the economical use of high-pressuresteam.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and inthe arrangement and combinations of parts,"as hereinafter par-'ticularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inboth figures. Figure 1 is a diagramillustrating the application of myimprovements to a triple-ex pansion engine, and Fig; -2 is a similarview let from receiver E to the steam-chest c of the low-pressurecylinder. g is the exhaust-pipe from the low-pressure cylinder to thecondenser.. G, which is'shown as a surface condenser, although ajet-condenser may be employed with substantially the same effect. H

is the air-pump by which the water formed by condensation in thecondenser is discharged into the hot-well I.

e is the steam -inlet from The abovesmentioned parts are such asconstitute a modern triple-expansion engine. 7

In the application of my invention to an engine having the parts aboveenumerated the following devices maybe employed: the

heaters J, K, L, and M, the feed-water pumps N, O, P, Q, and R, and theauxiliary valves boiler (not shown) in the following manner:

The discharge-nozzles of the valves S S are connected with the heater K,the heater J is placed in the exhaust-pipe g between the low pressurecylinder and the condenser, the heater L isconnected with the receiver Eand the heater M with the receiver D,.the feed-water pump N is connectedon its suction side with the hot-well I and on its discharge side withthe heater J, the pump 0 is connected on the suction side with theheater J and on the dischargeside with the heater K, the suction-pipe ofpump P is connected with the heater K and its discharge-pipe with theheater L, the suctionepipe of pump Q is connected with the heater L andits dischargepipe with the heater M, and finally the suction-pipe of thepump R is connected with thelheater M and its discharge-pipe with theboiler, the pumps andheaters, with the cylinders, receivers, andsteam-chests of the engine and the boiler, thus forming a complete orcontinuous circuit or cycle. the pumps other equivalent devices may beused, and in some cases even gravity connections may be employed betweenthe heatersas, for instance, between the heaters K and L.

The apparatus as hereinbefore described operates as follows: Thedischarge-water from Instead of the air-pump H flows into the hot-well Iand is forced by the pump'Ninto the heater J, in which its temperatureis raisedjtoithat cylinder 0. The heaterJ is shown mane drawings tobeofrthe'tubular closedtype;

but a heaterof the open type, in which. the e exhaust-steam mingles withthe feedwater 95.. of the exhaust-steam from the low-pressure by theair-pump is taken through the heater. After passing through the heater Jthe feedwateris forced by the pump into the heater K. If the heater .Iis of the tubular type, as shown, the pump 0 may in some cases bedispensed with, the pump N in such cases serving to force the waterthrough the closed water-space in the heaterJ into the heater K. Theheater K is preferably of the open type, in which the feed -watermingles with the steam from which it is to extract the heat. The steamfor this heater is taken directly from the working space of thelow-pressure cylinder 0 through the auxiliary valves S S, which areoperated from the engine by any suitable mechanism, (not shown,) so thatthey will open at a point in the piston-stroke later than that at whichthe main steam valve closes and will close before the main exhaustvalvecommences to open. Communication between the low-pressure cylinder 0 andthe heaterK thustakes placeduring the later part of the expansionperiod, and the time during which this communication takes place as wellas the area of the valves S S and of the pipes connecting them with theheater K are so proportioned that the temperature of the water in theheater K will be raised approximately to that of the steam expanding inthe cylinder 0 at its terminal pressure. A part of the steam issuingfrom the low-pressure cylinder is thus condensed in the heater K, andthe volume of water discharged from said heater is greater by thatamount than the volume supplied to it from the heater J. The feedwaterat this point in its course through the apparatus is thus raised to atemperature approximately equal to that of the working steam at itsterminal pressure in the lowpressure cylinder. In some cases other meansmay be employed for securing this result. If, for instance, the steamplant includes auxiliary engines, steam -pun1ps, 850., the exhaust-steamtherefrom may be sui'tlcient to heat the total feed-water to atemperature approximately equal to that of the steam at its terminalpressure in the low-pressure cylinder, and in such cases suchexhaust-steam may be utilized instead of the exhaust-steam taken fromthe low-pressure cylinder C, or in case the exhaust-steam from suchauxiliary devices or externalsourcesisinsufficienttoaccom plish thedesired end an additional heater supplied with such exhaust-steam mayeither be added to the plant orsnbstituted for one of the heaters JandK. The feed-water is next delivered by the pump P into the heater L,which is supplied with steam from the receiver E, and its temperature israised in said heater to that of the steam in said receiver, a part ofthat steam being condensed in the heater. As the pressure of the steamin receiverE is in many cases but little higher than the terminalpressure in the cylinder C, which pressure if open heaters are used willbe practically the same as that in the heater K, this heater can beplaced at a higher elevation than the heater L and the water carriedfrom the one to the other by gravity, thus dispensing with. the pump P.The Water from the heater L is forced by the pump Q into the heater M,which has a steam-supply connection with the receiver D, whereby thetemperature of the water passing through the latter heater is raised tothat of the steam in said receiver, and a part of such steam iscondensed. Finally the pump K forces the water from the heater M intothe boiler.

While the foregoing describes my invention as applied to atriple-expansion engine, it is equally applicable to a two-cylindercompound or to engines having four or more cylinders in series. In fact,the greater the number of the cylinders and the greater the number ofthe steps in the operation of heating the feed-water the greater will bethe efficiency of the engine.

Referring to Fig. 2, showing a modification of the apparatus by whichthe arrangement of the pumping system may be somewhat simplified,tubular or closed heaters K, L, and M are substituted for the direct oropen heaters shown in Fig. 1. In this arrange ment of the apparatus thepump N becomes the main feed-pump, which forces the feedwater throughall the heaters in series into the boiler, the heaters, their connectingwater-pipes, and the boiler, forming in this case a closed system. Theupper part of the water-space of the heater .I is connected directlywith the lower part of the water-space of the heater K, the upper partof the waterspace of the heater K is connected directly with the lowerpart of the water-space of the heater L, the upperpart of thewater-space of the heater L is connected directly with the lower part ofthe water-space of the heater M, and the upper part of the water-spaceof the last heateris connected directly with the boiler. Thesuction-pipes of the pumps 0, P, and Q, are severally connected with thelower parts of the steam-spaces of the several heaters with which theyare associated, and the discharge-pipes of said pumps connect with thedischarge-pipes leading out of the water-spaces of said heaters, so thatsaid pumps in this case serve only to remove from the steam-spaces ofsaid heaters the water formed by condensation therein. As this water ofcondensation has the same temperature as the steam from which it isformed, it must be forced into the discharge-pipes from the severalheaters with which said pumps are associated.

In many cases steam is used for other purposes than driving enginesas,for example, in steam-jackets for heating and other purposes. After thelatent heat has been extracted from steam so employed the water formedby its condensation may be discharged into that heater or part of myfeed-water-heating system the temperature of which corresponds thenearest to that of the water of condensation.

An auxiliary exhaust connection with valve mechanism may be employedwithany or anumber of the other engine-cylinders, substantially as shown inthe drawings in connection with the low-pressure cylinder, for supplyingsteam to aheater or series of heaters.

I claim-- 1. In a feed-water-heating system for mul-l tiple-expansionengines the combination with a series of engine-cylinders and means forprimarily heatingthe-feed-water to approxi-' mately the temperature ofthe steam at its terminal pressure in the low-pressure cylinder, of aheater connected with an intermediatepart of the steam-space between themain steam supply and exhaust of the engine, and adapted to raise thetemperature of the feed-water toapproximately that of the steam at thepoint from which it is diverted to said heater, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. In a feed-water-heating system for multiple-expansion engines,thecombination with a series of engine-cylinders and their steam andexhaust connections, of a heater, through which the feed-water passes,having a connection with a cylinder of the engine and valve mechanismcontrolling said connection and adapted to open after the steam-supplyof said cylinder is closed and to close before the main exhaust isopened, substantially as as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a feed-water-heating system for multiple-expansion engines,thecombination With the temperature of the feed-water approxi a series ofengine-cylinders and their steam supply and exhaust connections, of afeed- Water heater supplied with steam fromthe low-pressure cylinder andadapted to raise mately to that of the steam from the main exhaust ofsaid-cylinder, and a heater,through which said feed-water passes on itsway to the boiler, having a connection with the steam-'- space of theengine between its main steam supply and exhaust, and adapted to furtherraise the temperature of the feed-water approximately to that of thesteam at "the point from which it is diverted to said last-mentionedheater, substantially as and for the purposes set'forth. t

4. In afeed-water-heatiug system for mul-- tiple-expansion engines thecombination with a series-of engine-cylinders, their steam and exhaustconnections, and a condenserconnected with the exhaust of thelow-pressure cylinder, of va heater located in the exhaust connectionbetween said condenser and cylinder, a pump arranged-to force the waterdischarged from said condenser through said heater, and one or moreheaters through' which the feed-"water passes on its way to theboilerfrom the-first-Inentioned heater, eachofsaid last-mentioned heatershaving a steamsupply connection with a receiver or part of' thesteam-space of the engine between its cylinders, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

5. In a feed-water-heating system for multi ple-expansion engines thecombination with a series ofengine-cylinders, their steam sup-.

ply and exhaust connections, and a condenser connected with the mainexhaust of the lowpressurecylinder, of a heater located in the exhaustconnection between said condenser and cylinder, an auxiliary exhaustleading from said cylinder, valve mechanism adapted through which thefeed-water is conducted on its way to the boiler, connected with'andsupplied with steam from said auxiliary exhaust, and-valve mechanismadapted to open the auxiliary exhaust after steam is cut off from saidcylinder and to close said exhaust before the main exhaust is opened,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

i 7. In a feed-water-heating system for multiple-expansion engines,thecombination with a series of engine-cylinders, their steam and exhaustconnections, and a condenser connected with the main exhaust of thelow-pressure cylinder, of a heater located in the exhaust connectionbetween said cylinder and Ice condenser, a heater connected with an'auxil- J iary exhaust of said cylinder, valve mechanism adapted to opensaidauxiliary exhaust after the steam-admission valve of said cylindercloses and to close the samebefore the main exhaust-valveopens,oi1e ormore heaters each having a steam-supply connection with a receiver orthe steam-space of the engine between its cylinders, feed-waterconnections between the several-heaters,'and means for forcing the waterdischarged by-the con denser through said heaters into'the boiler,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A feed-Water heating apparatus having provisions for subjecting thefeed-water suc-' cessively'to difierent degrees of temperature,

in combinationwith aplurality' of different heaters connected with saidapparatus and adapted to furnish heat thereto at said differ enttemperatures, said heaters being respec-" tively connected with theexhausts'of aplu rality of different-pressure steam-engine cylinders.

In witness whereof I hereto aftix'my'signar ture inpresence of twoWitnesses.

Witnesses:

E. R. SABIN, CHAS. L. GOSS;

BRUNO V.NORDBERG. I

